Contains adult content and may not be suitable for all audiences.
AVONDALE, Arizona – Approximately 80 percent of women in the United States are dissatisfied with their appearance, according to the National Organization for Women (NOW) Foundation. From airbrushed advertisements to the rise of cosmetic surgery, women seem to be subjected to society’s expectations of what women should look like. And now, the expectations for men are beginning to become a similar concern. Whether it is how people dress, weight, height, hair style or a cultural statement, there seems to be social stereotyping and judgment on what is deemed as “attractive.”
During October 22 – 26, Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC), one of the ten Maricopa Community Colleges, will celebrate “Love Your Body Week” with a variety of campus activities that will bring awareness to these social expectations and how both women and men can learn to accept and honor themselves for who they are. All events are free and open to the public, but some contain adult content and may not be suitable for all audiences.
One of the week’s highlights will be the appearance of Erin Matson, Action Vice President and Love Your Body Coordinator for NOW in Washington, D.C. Matson oversees the grassroots organizing efforts and national action campaigns for the organization, while also spearheading the use of new technologies within the feminist activist arena. NOW has been fighting for women's rights for over forty-five years and is recognized in politics as a major force in promoting gender equality.
Event organizer and EMCC Sociology faculty, Olga Tsoudis, invited Matson to speak and is excited to have a representative of national stature coming to campus and presenting. “Her focus on body image and self-esteem is a topic that not only impacts all of us at home and at work, but is something that greatly impacts our students each day,” said Tsoudis. Matson will be presenting on Wednesday and Thursday. See schedule below.
Monday, October 22
8:00 a.m. – noon, Center for Teaching & Learning
Abstract Film Series
Four abstract films reveal honest accounts of men’s and women’s bodies and the topics that are often not openly discussed, but have content that is important in the study of body issues.
- 8:00 a.m. Killing Us Softly 3
Discusses the manner in which women continue to be portrayed by advertising and the effects this has on their images of themselves. (36 min.)
- 9:00 a.m. Recovering Bodies
Focuses not simply on people's problems with food, but on the renewed hope for a healthy life that the process of recovery can provide. Presents the stories and testimonies of seven college students, showing the wide range of pressures that can lead to disordered eating. Discusses the psychological and physical symptoms of eating disorders. (34 min.)
- 10:00 a.m. Private Dicks: Men Exposed
Men, ages 17 to 73, many appearing nude, talk about their relationships with their penises. Interviews are intercut with clips from vintage sex education films and cartoons. Jesse Sheidlower, slang dictionary editor for Random House, explains the etymology of some penis-related slang words and offers some obscure historical slang. (55 min.)
- 11:00 a.m. Breasts
Women, ages 6 to 84 years, mostly appearing topless, talk about their feelings about their breasts and the role they have played in the women's lives. Interviews are intercut with breast-related archival footage. (50 min.)
Tuesday, October 23
8:30 – 9:45 a.m., Center for Teaching & Learning
Jason Martinez, EMCC Counseling Faculty,“Manly Men, Girl Men & Real Men”
A focus on male body image and how it is connected to issues surrounding masculinity and men’s self-esteem.
11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m., Center for Teaching & Learning
Special guest speaker: Tania Katan, National Author and Comedic Performer, “No Boobs...No Problem!”
Award-winning writer/performer/humorist and activist, Tania Katan, gives a performance-style reading from her critically acclaimed memoir My One-Night Stand With Cancer. Katan will portray members of her whacky family, absurd doctors, and disgruntled lovers in order to share her story of survival with you. An extensive Q & A will follow addressing subjects such as the intricacies of being LGBTQ and navigating through the healthcare system; maintaining a sense of humor in trying times, carrying the BRCA-1 gene and the future, and more.
10:00 – 11:15 a.m., Center for Teaching & Learning
Guest presenter: Dr. Danielle Gilliam, “Obesity”
Gone are the constant reminders of unrealistic body types in the media. With 2/3rds of the US being overweight or obese and predominately women, the effects excess weight has on mental and physical health are astounding. Prevention is best. Weight loss and maintenance strategies have to be realistic and part of a lifestyle change.
Wednesday, October 24
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Ceremonial Plaza
Love Your Body Outdoor Event
Music, organizational tables, student clubs, and speakers. Employee arts and crafts will be raising funds for New Life Center.
8:00 – 8:50 a.m. & 10:00 – 10:50, Ceremonial Plaza
5:45 – 7:00 p.m., Plaza Gallery
Special guest presenter: Erin Matson, Action Vice President, National Organization for Women
“Cultural Representation of Women, Self-Image & Eating Disorders”
12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m., Plaza Gallery
Lyle Bartelt, Manager of EMCC Fitness & Wellness, “How to Really Love Your Body”
Evidenced-based, practical tips to achieve optimum health and physique.
Thursday, October 25
8:30, 10:00 and 11:30 a.m., Center for Teaching & Learning
Special guest presenter: Erin Matson, Action Vice President, National Organization for Women
“Cultural Representation of Women, Self-Image & Eating Disorders”
1:00 – 2:15 p.m., Center for Teaching & Learning
Dr. Tanisha Johnson-Maxwell, EMCC Counseling Faculty
“The Cultural Influences of Body Image on Self- Esteem”
An interactive workshop designed to help the students identify the signs, symptoms, and influences of body image issues in women, how body image can impact self-esteem and how to incorporate strategies for maintaining or increasing a positive self-esteem and body image. Workshop includes an interactive strengths activity facilitated by EMCC peer mentor Nicole Valenzuela to contextualize strength building and positive self-concept.
Friday, October 26
8:00 a.m. – noon, Center for Teaching & Learning
Abstract Film Series
Four abstract films reveal honest accounts of men’s and women’s bodies and the topics that are often not openly discussed, but have content that is important in the study of body issues.
- 8:00 a.m. The Codes of Gender Identity and Performance in Pop Culture
"Communication scholar Sut Jhally applies the late sociologist Erving Goffman's groundbreaking analysis of advertising to the contemporary commercial landscape in this provocative new film about gender as a ritualized commercial performance. Uncovering a remarkable pattern of gender-specific poses, Jhally explores Goffman's central claim that the way the body is displayed in advertising communicates normative ideas about masculinity and femininity. The film looks beyond advertising as a medium that simply sells products, and beyond analyses of gender that focus on biological difference or issues of surface objectification and beauty, taking us into the two-tiered terrain of identity and power relations"--Container. (70 min.)
- 9:00 a.m. Let’s Face It: Women Exploring Their Aging Faces
Seven midlife women reveal their ambivalence and acceptance of growing older. (26 min.)
- 10:00 a.m. - Part 1; 11:00 a.m. - Part 2 Real Women Have Curves
Should she leave home, go to college and experience life? Or stay home, get married, and keep working in her sister's struggling garment factory? It may seem an easy decision, but for 18-year-old Ana, every choice she makes this summer will change her life. (90 min.)